| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Illinois State |
| Tue. 4 p.m. CT |
LHP Jackson Douglas (0-0, 4.26) |
LHP Kyle Pauly (0-1, 8.53) |
SCHEDULE CHANGE
First pitch was moved to 4 p.m. CT after originally being scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team returns home for a Tuesday game against Illinois State, beginning nine straight games at Illinois Field.
Illinois (19-8, 6-3 Big Ten) and Illinois State (11-15, 2-4 Missouri Valley) have tried to play twice already in 2018, but both games have been cancelled due to weather. Unless a game is added, Tuesday will be the two teams' only meeting of the season.
Illinois is coming off a 2-1 series win at Maryland. The Illini were outhit in all three games but found a way to win twice, including a 4-2 victory Sunday to clinch the series.
Bren Spillane leads the offense and the Big Ten in nearly every statistical category. Spillane leads the nation in slugging (1.040) and OPS (1.582) and ranks second in homers (14) and batting average (.455).
Illinois State is under .500 overall but comes into the week with a respectable RPI of No. 71 thanks to its No. 16 strength of schedule. The Redbirds won Sunday, as part of a 2-1 series loss to Dallas Baptist, in walk-off fashion. Ryan Hutchinson plated the winning run on an RBI fielders' choice to beat DBU 4-3 in 11 innings after ISU fell on Saturday 17-11 in 10 innings. Illinois State is scoring 7.3 runs per game but the Redbirds allow 7.0 per game.Â
The game will be broadcast on BTN2Go. Dave Loane will have the radio call on the Fighting Illini Sports Network and WDWS 1400-AM.Â
NOTES
• Illinois has won 18 of its last 23 games.
• Illinois is No. 35 in the RPI as of Monday morning.
• Illinois is outscoring its opponents by nearly two runs per game (6.8-4.9).
• Illinois was eighth in the nation in fielding percentage (.983) entering the week.
• Illinois had 11 fewer errors than any other Big Ten team entering the week.
• Illinois was ninth in the nation in doubles per game (2.37) entering the week.
• Illinois is 15-1 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 15-3 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 16-2 when scoring five or more runs.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten home runs (33), four more than second place Indiana (29).
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 27 games this season. His current reached base streak is 32 dating back to the final five games of last season.
UP NEXT
Illinois continues the homestand Friday-Sunday against Rutgers.
